A colander is a container, which is typically shaped like a bowl, having a perforated bottom for draining and straining foods. Colanders are commonly used for washing fruits and vegetables, draining water from foods that are cooked in water, etc. A typical colander is bulky, requiring significant cabinet space for storage, and taking up significant space in a dishwasher while being cleaned. For this reason, various folding and/or collapsible colanders have been proposed.
One example is U.S. Pat. No. 7,678,271, disclosing a collapsible colander, bowl, and funnel. The device includes a rigid rim, a rigid base, and a sidewall. The sidewall includes first and second folding sections (living hinges) that allow the device to collapse to one third of its expanded height. The device is also disclosed within U.S. D595,997 and US 2008/0230462.
A similar device is described within U.S. Pat. No. 8,215,230, which discloses a collapsible salad spinner having an external bowl and internal basket. The bowl and basket each have rigid bases and rims separated by flexible central sections. The central sections each define upper and lower living hinges. The location of the living hinges is such that the bowl and basket may be collapsed together when the bowl is within the basket.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,138,939 discloses a vegetable steamer with a base and a plurality of overlapping, hingedly secured leaves forming the sides. The base includes a pair of straps. A handle includes a pair of legs that are held resiliently outward, ending in tabs that fit under the straps. Pushing the legs together allows insertion or removal of the handle.
U.S. D316,505 shows an adjustable colander. The sides are made from overlapping leaves that are hingedly secured to the base. A central handle is provided.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,019,244 discloses a fabric bowl having a flexible ring around the bottom, and a drawstring around the top. The side walls taper inward towards the top. The bowl is held open by water pressure against the sides when the bowl is used to hold water. The drawstring, along with hook and loop fasteners, are used to hold the bowl in a collapsed configuration for storage or transportation. This device would be unsuitable as a colander, because it requires the internal pressure supplied by its contents in order to remain open. It would therefore not remain open, for example, during the pouring of cooked spaghetti.
U.S. D661,944 discloses a Lotus steamer. The steamer has a base with a plurality of legs and the central handle. The sides are formed from hingedly attached leaves that overlap. The leaves may be placed in an open position, or a closed position wherein they are folded inward to contact the handle.
Prior collapsible colanders only collapsed to a limited extent, requiring a significant amount of space even in their collapsed form. Those that do collapse to a very compact structure are too limited in their rigidity to work effectively as colanders. Accordingly, there is a need for a collapsible colander that collapses into a more compact structure. There is a further need for a collapsible colander having a rigid structure when expanded. There is an additional need for a collapsible colander that limits its reliance on structures that are subject to wear in order to collapse.